Sowing grass seed in spring

I’m getting in one more task before the rain is due.  Sowing grass seeds. But before I do, have a look at the gorgeous Hellebore Boughton Beauty that is just flowering in the walnut bank.

It takes my breath away, and also distracts me from the crossness I feel when I see all the mole damage in the same bed. So much for my carefully applied mulch last month.

There’s nothing I can do. Or chose to do about it. Except I do try and scoop up as much of the soil as I can and use it when I’m potting on plants.

But back to seeds. The time is right for a massive raking and sowing and stamping down of soil.

I started down at the stables which has been bare earth all winter. Ever since I dug the drains to move the excess water from the underground springs which flood the orchard.

The ground is a bit compacted, and my poor rake is decidedly wonky.  So it took a while to churn up a thin layer of soil in which to scatter the seed.

A rake over the top, some desultory tramping down and I was off to the next project.

Repairs of the orchard where the wild boar had a good rummage.

It looks like a patchwork of bare earth and just emerging lawn.  And it took quite a while to cover all the bald bits.

But it’s done and I’m relieved that there is a chance I’ll have my orchard back as a lawn rather than a mucky muddy terrace.  And I have even sown some seeds in the new little terrace near the olive tree. I can’t think what else to do here, so a season of grass is no bad thing.

I have a huge sack of grass seed in the potting shed and I went back and forth, replenishing the bucket as I raked and sowed.   I hope to be able to resow the entire vineyard area – hence the jumbo pack. But that is the rotovator saga and not for this happy almost spring day.

I moved down to the first terrace to cover the last patches where the old flood damage deposited the gravel.

And then it was but a twinkle (more like a trundle) up to the parking area in front of the east garden where I have resown and resown this area every time the builders and their equipment depart.

Fingers crossed I wont have to sow again.